As Convergence publishes figures showing the blended finance market held strong in 2024, it predicts that US-led international assistance budget cuts will put smaller, high-impact deals most at risk.
BRUSSELS BRIEFING: Social enterprise is removed from the remit of the directorate overseeing internal market, entrepreneurship and SMEs as the EU prioritises competitiveness over sustainability. Toby Gazeley reports.
The newly launched Arab Impact Network aims to build an inclusive movement of impact organisations and ‘change the region’s narrative from one of scarcity to opportunity’.
INTERVIEW: B Lab co-lead Sarah Schwimmer explains why new B Corp standards are more stringent, how the movement is facing up to Trump's threats and why it’s vital that all B Corps take collective action to transform capitalism.
USAID's near-shutdown is a reminder of the importance of catalytic capital in impact investing – and also of the question of whether access to cheaper money is necessary for impact investing to really work.
This week: the financial fragility of Black-led social enterprises and charities in London, a bonanza of multiyear grant funding for creative enterprises in Scotland and a bumper harvest of payouts for employee-owned veg box firm Riverford.
As Donald Trump pulls the plug on the world’s largest aid donor, the impact investing community warns the existing funding gap to meet the SDGs will widen by billions of dollars. But is China now poised to step forward?
Yes, blended finance has its flaws, but Mariana Mazzucato’s critical UN briefing creates a misleading narrative around its role, says Joan Larrea of Convergence. The approach’s real promise is not as a gap-filler, but a market enabler.
Can the DEI agenda survive Trump's attack? Davos's diversity problem and fund managers feel ‘squeezed’ by Better Society Capital. This week’s view from the Pioneers Post newsroom.
This week: Irish social enterprises test accreditation, AVPN and Latimpacto collaborate, a criticism of the UK government’s view of civil society, and more.
Independent review finds UK's social investment wholesaler has driven growth in lower-risk funds but frontline social investors say more catalytic capital is needed.
AI, natural capital, the Trump effect, this year’s G20, and the self-destruction of modern civilisation were all discussed at this year’s World Economic Forum annual meeting featuring Muhammad Yunus, Klaus Schwab, Steven Pinker and more.
This year’s World Economic Forum was sorely lacking in contributions from BME leaders, found Gosbert Chagula. What’s more, Donald Trump’s isolationist views are influencing others to ignore the climate impacts of their actions. This must change.
